LL-L "Idiomatica" 2009.05.05 (04) [EN]

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L O W L A N D S - L - 05 May 2009 - Volume 04
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From: M.-L. Lessing <marless at gmx.de>
Subject: LL-L "Idiomatica" 2009.05.05 (02) [EN]

My Father told me of an old custom among westphalian farmers: Before hiring
a new farm worker (provided the man made a good impression otherwise), they
invited him to eat -- and watched him closely. If he "dug in" with spirit
and ate quickly and vigorously, he was hired. Eating leisurely could cost
him the chance to get the place. The saying that belonged to this test was
"Wie die Backen, so die Hacken." ("As the jaws, so the heels.") This is not
calling eating work, but just comparing a person's performance on both. The
farmers had an idea that work would be undertaken in the same way as eating.
-- No "culture of enjoyment" here, hm?

Hartlich!

Marlou

From: Paul Finlow-Bates <wolf_thunder51 at yahoo.co.uk>
Subject: LL-L "Idiomatica" 2009.05.04 (05) [EN]

In the late 60s or early 70s the Egg Marketing Board in Britain had an ad
campaign that featured the slogan "Go to work on an egg!".

The point of this slogan was its double meaning.  On the surface it
indicated that the egg gave you energy for the day's work, but it also had
an implicit meaning of "going to work on" in the sense of actually eating
it.  You're not just picking at it, you're eating it with a will.

An old phrase of encouragement to somebody to start eating was a hearty "Dig
in!" which has similar connotations.

So the use of work in connection with eating is clearly not just American.

Paul
Derby

•

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